In recent years, I’ve noticed that zoos have been making a conscious effort to attract more diverse visitors- particularly adults!
Just last year, I attended the Bronx Zoo Run For The Wild 5k and had a total blast.
When I saw advertisements for the Zoo’s 21+ Brew at the Zoo event, I had to give it a try!
The Bronx Zoo has three tiers of admission tickets:
-General Admission which allows for entry, unlimited beer samples, and a 5oz souvenir cup.
-VIP Admission, which offers all of the above, plus admission to VIP sections and drink stations, along with a souvenir T-Shirt, exclusive items, complimentary snacks and a complimentary Bronx Zoo admission ticket for later use.
-Designated Driver tickets, which pretty much just allow entry and complimentary soft drinks. These visitors must still be over 21!
The General Admission tickets suited me just fine for $85, but make sure to keep an eye out for discounts as the event gets closer. I saw tickets discounted up to 20% before they sold out.
Unlike a typical visit to the Zoo, visitors are limited to just a few sections of the Zoo- though still enough space to get your steps in!
Still, we were able to see Giraffes, Sea Lions World of Reptiles, the Butterfly Garden, Gelada Reserve, Madagascar, Grizzly Bears and the Zoo Center (with some of their reptiles and rhinos) before the indoor exhibits were closed at 7:30pm.
The outdoor exhibits also lost interest around this time as most of the animals were ready for bed- the zoo usually closes at 5pm!
With the beer pouring starting at 7pm, a full hour after opening, I had just enough time to tipsily watch the giraffes before they all headed to bed. It’s pretty much all I could ask for and, in my opinion, immediately repaid the cost of my ticket.
Once 7:30pm rolled around, the animals became much less of a focus. There were over 100 different alcohols being served and drinks ranged from beer to hard seltzer to wine to non-alcoholic beer (unsurprisingly the least popular).
I laughed a little when I first saw the size of my 5oz drink cup, but five drinks in, I realized it was the perfect size to sample a huge selection of the drinks on offer without the risk of alcohol poisoning.
Many of the drinks vendors were handing out fun little stickers or other tchotchke, which I enjoyed- it made it easier to remember which drinks I liked!
There was also plenty of food- which may be relieving to hear, given all the alcohol. There were 20 food trucks scattered throughout the park, and the regular park vendors were also open. Prices were on the higher end- it is a special event in NYC, after all. Think $20 per person or so, though I was able to snack on a delicious empanada for $6. Probably the best deal in the park!
The Bronx Zoo didn’t just give us food and alcohol and leave us to our own devices, though! There were tons and activities and games such as trivia, karaoke, inflatable ax throwing, and even the Bug Carousel was open.
There were plenty of photo booths to commemorate the day, and a lot of people got their faces painted!
I also saw a ton of groups in themed costumes such as animal prints, cat ears or (my personal favorite) safari gear, which really added a level of whimsy to the experience.
There were also several DJs throughout the park playing different themes- one was playing 2010s club music, another 90s hip hop- there was even a live band in the main lawn area.
An absolute pro-tip is to bring something to clip your cup on to! I saw people bring carabiners and lanyards so they could be hands free without losing their cups and I was kicking myself for not bringing one of my own.
I’d also recommend picking your bathroom breaks strategically- the closer you are to a courtyard, the longer the line!
Overall, while I did enjoy myself, I think it’s important to note that the Bronx Zoo as a venue plays less a role than most people would probably expect.
Don’t get me wrong, the crew did a wonderful job setting up an incredible experience with the lights and the DJs and all of the vendors- but once the animals go to bed it starts to feel more like getting drunk in a park than in a zoo.
It was fun to see all the animals I could, beer in hand, but if you’re looking for a more animal-focused experience, I’d recommend the 5k (or just a regular Zoo day).
The Brew at the Zoo event is ideal for beer and wine lovers looking to sample a ton of local and craft breweries and have a great (animal themed!) night out!
If you’re looking for a low key, tipsy day at the zoo, well, the Bronx Zoo sells alcohol.
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